• Log InLog In
  • Register
Liquid`
Team Liquid Liquipedia
EDT 19:09
CEST 01:09
KST 08:09
  • Home
  • Forum
  • Calendar
  • Streams
  • Liquipedia
  • Features
  • Store
  • EPT
  • TL+
  • StarCraft 2
  • Brood War
  • Smash
  • Heroes
  • Counter-Strike
  • Overwatch
  • Liquibet
  • Fantasy StarCraft
  • TLPD
  • StarCraft 2
  • Brood War
  • Blogs
Forum Sidebar
Events/Features
News
Featured News
Serral wins HomeStory Cup 2915Serral wins Maestros of the Game 243ByuL, and the Limitations of Standard Play3Team Liquid Map Contest #22: Results and Winners7Code S Season 2 (2026): RO4 and Finals Preview12
Community News
RSL goes to London! 2026 Offline Finals Nov 21-2212Weekly Cups (July 27-Aug 2): SHIN's big week0SC4ALL II: Brood War - $2500 - Dec 5-69SC4ALL II announced - $10,000 prize pool, Dec 5-64PIG STY FESTIVAL 8.0! (13 - 23 August)14
StarCraft 2
General
SC4ALL: II Talent Announcement! Protoss AoE skill expression August World Ranking: Clem climbs to #2 Balance hotfix patch 5.0.16b (July 16) Serral wins HomeStory Cup 29
Tourneys
RSL goes to London! 2026 Offline Finals Nov 21-22 RSL Revival: Season 6 - Qualifiers and Main Event Sparkling Tuna Cup - Weekly Open Tournament PIG STY FESTIVAL 8.0! (13 - 23 August) Tasteless Time Warp: SC Evo Showmatch (May 25)
Strategy
[G] Having the right mentality to improve
Custom Maps
Nexus Wars 2021 GUIDE [M] (2) Industrial Park
External Content
Mutation # 538 Media Blackout The PondCast: SC2 News & Results Mutation # 537 Hostile Territory Mutation # 536 Railroad Switch
Brood War
General
BGH Auto Balance -> http://bghmmr.eu/ ASL22 General Discussion How FlaSh Nearly Forfeited MSL Finals being late Are you ready for ASL 22? NEW HYPE VIDEO BW General Discussion
Tourneys
[Megathread] Daily Proleagues 2v2v2v2 Tournament KCM Race Survival 2026 Season 3 Escore Tournament - Season 3
Strategy
Fighting Spirit mining rates Odyssey Mineral Stack Saturation Any training maps people recommend? Simple Questions, Simple Answers
Other Games
General Games
General RTS Discussion Thread Stormgate/Frost Giant Megathread Nintendo Switch Thread Diablo 2 thread ZeroSpace Early Access is Now Live!
Dota 2
Looking for a Dota Mentor Official 'what is Dota anymore' discussion
League of Legends
[TL LoL EUW IHs] Teemo shall perish TSM pausing esports and CLG Dead
Heroes of the Storm
Heroes of the Storm 2.0
Hearthstone
Deck construction bug
TL Mafia
TL Mafia Power Rank TL Mafia Community Thread NeO.D_StephenKing vs This Guy From 1 Million Dance
Community
General
US Politics Mega-thread Russo-Ukrainian War Thread Iain M Banks Says He Has Cancer And Months To Live European Politico-economics QA Mega-thread The Games Industry And ATVI
Fan Clubs
MarineLorD Fan Club The ShoWTimE Fan Club The herO Fan Club!
Media & Entertainment
Anime Discussion Thread Movie Discussion! Series you have seen recently... [Req][Books] Good Fantasy/SciFi books
Sports
Football (Soccer) Thread NBA General Discussion TeamLiquid Health and Fitness Initiative For 2023 Formula 1 Discussion MLB/Baseball 2023
World Cup 2022
Tech Support
Computer Build, Upgrade & Buying Resource Thread Simple Questions Simple Answers FPS when play League Of Legend on laptop
TL Community
The Automated Ban List Northern Ireland Global Starcraft
Blogs
Are High-Level Gamers more A…
TrAiDoS
Cathedral Of CS And NY pizza a…
FuDDx
Please support my new stand…
Peanutsc
Hello guys!
LIN1s
ASL S22 English Commentary…
namkraft
Poker (part 2)
Nebuchad
Customize Sidebar...

Website Feedback

Closed Threads



Active: 3537 users

[H] 12 Hatch vs 2 Gate

Forum Index > Brood War Strategy
Post a Reply
1 2 Next All
Ronald_McD
Profile Blog Joined November 2008
Canada807 Posts
February 13 2009 06:52 GMT
#1
Alright. So I've been playing for a few months now, I'm progressing at a rate I'm comfortable with in contrast to the amount of time I'm practicing.

I'm having a problem in my Zerg vs Protoss area. Playing against a fast expanding P is pretty easy for me, at the D level at least. I demolish a lot of D level P players who just sit there and turtle after fast expanding. But lately I've been getting raped pretty hard by people doing 2gate builds. In fact, I lose like 80% of the games where I'm up against 2gate.

I always do 12hatch. Trying to get it down solid. I just don't know what to do when I 12 hatch and someone goes 2 gate.

And it's usually too late to switch my build order by the time I scout the 2gate. That's probably because I've started scouting on 12 instead of 9, but even when I go on 9 on some maps it's harder to get there in time.

So in the situation where I look and see "Oh, this guy's going 2gate"
And I've got my hatchery going up in my nat
And my spawning pool is almost done.

What should I do right when those first 6 lings pop out? I'm not sure what to do from there.
I tried laying a sunken or two in my nat, then blocking off the ramp, choke to my main with lings and shit but it doesn't always work so well.
I'm pretty lost as to what to do.
FUCKING GAY LAGS
onihunter
Profile Blog Joined September 2008
United States515 Posts
February 13 2009 07:02 GMT
#2
Get a couple drones down to your nat asap and try to put down 2 sunks despite the harassing probe/zeal. Once you have those you're pretty safe and just have to adapt. Try to snipe the probe with your lings first then go for the zeals.

Don't take my word for it.
jaedong forever~
Ronald_McD
Profile Blog Joined November 2008
Canada807 Posts
February 13 2009 07:05 GMT
#3
On February 13 2009 16:02 onihunter wrote:
Get a couple drones down to your nat asap and try to put down 2 sunks despite the harassing probe/zeal. Once you have those you're pretty safe and just have to adapt. Try to snipe the probe with your lings first then go for the zeals.

Don't take my word for it.


I have done this but either end up getting overpowered with zealots, or they just run by into my main and give me a Protoss sized fisting I'll never forget.
FUCKING GAY LAGS
AzureEye
Profile Blog Joined December 2008
United States1360 Posts
February 13 2009 07:08 GMT
#4
Well, you will notice that its a 2 gate even before you scout his base, if you see zeals running across the map because FE does not give P zealots that early. In that case, pull 2 drones from main asap and immediately build sunkens as creep finishes. You might also want to use those initial lings to distract his 2 zealots (try to surround 1, and as he pulls it back, try to surround the other, repeat to buy time)

Make sure he doesn't simply waltz up your ramp or else you're gonna need a hellulva drone micro to stop his pressure.

2 Gate is constant pressure, it can be very powerful if done by a good Protoss. Keep an ovie or ling near his ramp to see his zealot count as he moves out, and add sunkens accordingly. I would recommend playing on 2 base (main + nat) in early game unless you have confident ling micro.

To put it simply, defend his pressure, and quickly go lair -> mutas. If he did a powerful 2 gate pressure where he invested alot of minerals into zealots rather than tech, he should get pretty fucked by your mutas. Unlike FE build, 2 gate doesn't get forge very early so if he doesn't suspect mutas, its pretty much GG since he can't build cannons + archon. .
Terrans who whine: http://www.teamliquid.net/blogs/viewblog.php?topic_id=107788
Ideas
Profile Blog Joined April 2008
United States8174 Posts
Last Edited: 2009-02-13 07:12:10
February 13 2009 07:12 GMT
#5
It seems like you know how to respond, but the risk of going 12 hatch vs Protoss is that (besides probes being about to delay your hatch for a long time) 2gate is a lot more powerful vs it than 9pool/overpool. I would assume that since you're D level, the main reason you consistently lose to it is because your micro just isn't up to par (it is the same for me, I still have difficulties vs 2gate when the protoss executing it has decent zeal micro). Basically the only real solution is just practice practice practice your ling vs zeal micro i think (also don't take my word for it lol).
Free Palestine
AzureEye
Profile Blog Joined December 2008
United States1360 Posts
February 13 2009 07:12 GMT
#6
Oh, and 6 lings + drone micro is good enough to kill the first two zealots easily
Terrans who whine: http://www.teamliquid.net/blogs/viewblog.php?topic_id=107788
Sentenal
Profile Blog Joined December 2007
United States12398 Posts
February 13 2009 07:41 GMT
#7
It also sorta depends on the type of 2gate. If its a 10/12gate, you should be fine, just get a few sunkens up ASAP in your nat. If it was a 9/10gate... Thats sorta designed to kill a 12hatch, so micro your ass off, get sunkens as fast as you can, pump lings.
"Apparently, Sentenal is a paragon of friendship and tolerance. " - Ech0ne
dream-_-
Profile Blog Joined April 2006
United States1857 Posts
February 13 2009 07:50 GMT
#8
overpool
AttackZerg
Profile Blog Joined January 2003
United States7584 Posts
February 13 2009 08:08 GMT
#9
Go to figherreplays.com

Click general

Look for my first bo5 against saddles.

Get.AttackZerg vs Saddles

games 1 , 2 and 4 are all 12hat vs 2gate. It is a systematic process. If you panic when you see zealots, you've already lost.

The concept behind beating a two gate, is that larva from 2 hats > 2 gates.

To make it simple to read.
Send 4 drones to expo when zealot is on his way, or if your scouting blows, when its there.

He can at max have 1 zealot + 2 probes even if he 9/9's at this point.

Delay zealot attacks on hatchery (You want it to be as high hp as possible) your pool (assuming your doing ur build correctly) should finish before your hatchery(barely)

Rally main hat to your natural. While lings are on the way your goal is to spread out all 4 drones and place two creeps. He Will Target One. As it begins to die, cancel - and make another.

Now you have 8 lings 1 sunken morphing 1 or 2 drones and 4 more lings on the way vs 3 zealots (for about 10 seconds) then 5. You want to make as few lings as possible , so you can place a third hat and power drone as soon as your safe.

Do not engage the zealots at anytime unless you have a positional advantage. Do Not forget that 2 zealots hits + 1 probe is a zealot kill, target probes when possible.

If 8 probes come + 1 zealots cancel hat and build (in this order) hatchery-gas-creep in your main.

Proper overlord placement, and path scouting on nearly all maps allows you to avoid complete surprise.

Watch savior vs any protoss on longinus or longinus 2. He had it down to such a science that sometimes all of the zealots would just leave his expo without inflicting any damage.

Killing the zealots isn't important. 3 hat speedling or 2 hat speedling is a crap counter to 2gate. Visualize where you are going to place sunkens before you need to, that way you can quickly execute the 3 drone split to get them morphing.

Losing those first 4 drones is game, you lose, losing both sunkens without another morphing is game.

Making all lings off 2 hats without speed is game. Building gas before third hat, even though tempting is often game.
ffswowsucks
Profile Blog Joined August 2005
Greece2298 Posts
February 13 2009 08:13 GMT
#10
Why dont u use this new BO mondargon is doing as well. Get 11 pool with speed and then go for expand. you can also place a 3rd hatch on a mineral only expand. with this bo if the toss goes FE you can also try to sneak some lings into his main or if he goes 2 gate zealots you can probably mass speedling and kill him.
Terran in particular is a notoriously strong race for a no brain skillhand bot style.
AttackZerg
Profile Blog Joined January 2003
United States7584 Posts
February 13 2009 08:33 GMT
#11
On February 13 2009 17:13 ffswowsucks wrote:
Why dont u use this new BO mondargon is doing as well. Get 11 pool with speed and then go for expand. you can also place a 3rd hatch on a mineral only expand. with this bo if the toss goes FE you can also try to sneak some lings into his main or if he goes 2 gate zealots you can probably mass speedling and kill him.



9pool/overpool and 11pool are all inferior vs 2gate. If you do any of these on maps with ramps, you can easily get contained or out teched or anything else.

I mean fuck 2gate proxy 99 in the center of andro unscouted is possible to live threw ....
MoRe_mInErAls
Profile Blog Joined November 2007
Canada1210 Posts
February 13 2009 09:15 GMT
#12
I actually cream my pants when my opponent 2-gates. It's a free win. I just overpower the zealots and run into the P main to probe hunt
ygor
Profile Blog Joined April 2004
Slovakia246 Posts
February 13 2009 09:36 GMT
#13
On February 13 2009 15:52 Ronald_McD wrote:I always do 12hatch. Trying to get it down solid.

I don't know about other protoss players, but I always feel very comfortable, when zerg goes 12 hatch. I have so many options - even including canon rushing the hatch with two scouting probes (which is rare of course). The reason why I prefer zergs going 12 hatch, is that I feel very comfortable - no early aggresion can be expected, I can get away with 1 canon, I can focus super hard on economy and on getting to a certain point of tech and unit count very fast (e.g. zealot-archon-+1upg). In fact, I feel like I am the one getting much more solid.

What I want to tell, try 9 pool speed lings or overpool more often - these things put me (should be the same for other P players too) off balance - scouting is harder, more defence is required - this means - I am not comfortable - my BO execution is flawed - the risk of choosing wrong BO is higher.
Vex
Profile Blog Joined January 2009
Ireland454 Posts
February 13 2009 10:02 GMT
#14
On February 13 2009 18:15 MoRe_mInErAls wrote:
I actually cream my pants when my opponent 2-gates. It's a free win. I just overpower the zealots and run into the P main to probe hunt


+1
just keep harassing the zeals that are htting the hatch, keep ling' and dont forget to tech up.
a sunken in your mineral line of your nat = freewin.
float your drones and attack, it reduces the zealots attack rate by at least 50%
playing 2x2 zerg, you will learn to do this, your literally always fighting a 2gate, with possibly a 9p too.. 2 sunks, and no expand, but the concept of beating zeals by floating your drones is still paramount
"Bonjwa" is the most retarded word ever. Wtf does it even sound like.
ffswowsucks
Profile Blog Joined August 2005
Greece2298 Posts
February 13 2009 11:05 GMT
#15
On February 13 2009 17:33 AttackZerg wrote:
Show nested quote +
On February 13 2009 17:13 ffswowsucks wrote:
Why dont u use this new BO mondargon is doing as well. Get 11 pool with speed and then go for expand. you can also place a 3rd hatch on a mineral only expand. with this bo if the toss goes FE you can also try to sneak some lings into his main or if he goes 2 gate zealots you can probably mass speedling and kill him.



9pool/overpool and 11pool are all inferior vs 2gate. If you do any of these on maps with ramps, you can easily get contained or out teched or anything else.

I mean fuck 2gate proxy 99 in the center of andro unscouted is possible to live threw ....



[url blocked]
Terran in particular is a notoriously strong race for a no brain skillhand bot style.
TheFoReveRwaR
Profile Blog Joined May 2006
United States10657 Posts
Last Edited: 2009-02-13 11:49:56
February 13 2009 11:46 GMT
#16
You should be sending out a scout drone with your 12 hatch. When you see the 2 gate, instead of placing your normal 3rd hatch at 13. Pull 4 drones and start 2 creeps at your nat. P will attack one so morph them both while canceling the one thats attacked before it finishes. With your first 2 hatchs make 8 lings. And on wide open maps consider how many probes hes commited and how wide open your ramp. If its on a map where they can easily run by considering making a creep in your main. Your drone should either be alive or an overlord should be in his base by now. If hes continuing with the zeals you need another sunk and keep making lings. If hes keeping the zeals back at his ramp and getting gas , add to your drone count and plan on catching up your sunk count to match his zeal count pretty soon. Basically if hes pressing with a hardcore zeal rush. Add another sunk and make non stop lings. Keep adding sunks as needed and ONLY ENGAGE HIS ZEALS WITH YOUR LINGS IF HE MOVES FOR YOUR SUNKS. DO NOT WASTE YOUR LINGS.

But ya as attack zerg mentioned. Once you have your base sunks in place to prevent early drone kills its easy to just make non stop lings from 2 hatches and quickly outnumber his pressuring zeals while you tech to mutas. Because youll be able to get more lings from your 2 hatches than he will from his 2 gates and you can get tech while doing it. From there you take a 3rd base and prepare either mass hydras or lurk contain/defense depending on what your mutas see.
Being healthy, it has been said, really consists of having the same disease as everybody else.
_Air_
Profile Joined December 2008
United States146 Posts
February 13 2009 11:47 GMT
#17
On February 13 2009 16:12 Ideas wrote:
It seems like you know how to respond, but the risk of going 12 hatch vs Protoss is that (besides probes being about to delay your hatch for a long time) 2gate is a lot more powerful vs it than 9pool/overpool. I would assume that since you're D level, the main reason you consistently lose to it is because your micro just isn't up to par (it is the same for me, I still have difficulties vs 2gate when the protoss executing it has decent zeal micro). Basically the only real solution is just practice practice practice your ling vs zeal micro i think (also don't take my word for it lol).



No 12 Hatch counters 2 gate much better than 9 pool. As a protoss player when my opponent 9 pools and im 2 gating I can simply wall of his ramp, forcing him to play 1 base. All you need to do is start to morph 1 sunken. Build 2 if he is A) Pulling probes B) Proxy 2 gate.

Then, simply make sure he doesnt get drone kills and pump lings. He will be forced to stay on your ramp, if he enters your main or natural you can simply surround, and because of the additional hatch and because its on the other side of your ramp is the reason why 12 hatch counters 2 gate so well. When you have enough ligns simply attack his zealots from both sides and maynard a few drones, and you should have a huge eco lead.
TheFoReveRwaR
Profile Blog Joined May 2006
United States10657 Posts
February 13 2009 11:52 GMT
#18
On February 13 2009 16:12 Ideas wrote:
It seems like you know how to respond, but the risk of going 12 hatch vs Protoss is that (besides probes being about to delay your hatch for a long time) 2gate is a lot more powerful vs it than 9pool/overpool. I would assume that since you're D level, the main reason you consistently lose to it is because your micro just isn't up to par (it is the same for me, I still have difficulties vs 2gate when the protoss executing it has decent zeal micro). Basically the only real solution is just practice practice practice your ling vs zeal micro i think (also don't take my word for it lol).

Actually I think its harder to play 2 gate when opening with over 9 than with 12 hatch. 12 hatch puts the pressure on the p to do damage early with zeals, which you can outplay. If they 2 gate against over 9 they just put 3 zeals on ramp and get a quick gas and tech sair or archon and starting their nat. They can make you make lings/sunks early with just the pressence of the 2 gate but in fact just tech fast and catch up to you in midgame.
Being healthy, it has been said, really consists of having the same disease as everybody else.
KwarK
Profile Blog Joined July 2006
United States44226 Posts
February 13 2009 12:01 GMT
#19
On September 11 2007 05:18 Kwark wrote:
It's a micro issue in my opinion. The pivotal time (if you 12 hatch 11 pool) is when your first 8 lings hatch (you must save larva as pool completes). He'll have 1 zee, 2 probes and 2 zee almost there. You want to make 8 lings and start 2 creeps.
DO NOT ENGAGE
In a straight fight 3 zee 2 probe will rape your lings. Pure and simple. If you engage him he'll kill your lings and then kill the morphing sunks and you'll lose your nat. This is bad. However, if you don't engage then he'll kill the sunks. It's a thin line. Basically what you need to do is run round in circles with your lings staying near the morphing sunks but not engaging. If he commits to a sunk flank him. He won't be able to micro and his zees will lose and they'll be wasting attacks on the creep colony. If he doesn't commit you just wait for the sunk to finish. If he tries to run through you laugh as he's now in your main with 3 zee vs 10 or so ling (constant production) with his reinforcements cut off by sunks. Just dance your lings around near the morphing sunks and wait for him to commit. Let him chase your lings around, time is on your side. The only time you actually want to fight him is if he goes for the sunks in which case you can get a surround and slaughter him.


Search function is your friend.
ModeratorThe angels have the phone box
ilovehnk
Profile Joined October 2008
475 Posts
February 13 2009 13:07 GMT
#20
12 hatch, 11 pool, make 3 more drones then mass lings, put 2 sunkens down at nat if you can, just keep pumping lings.
Hikou Shinketsushuu
1 2 Next All
Please log in or register to reply.
Live Events Refresh
Next event in 10h 51m
[ Submit Event ]
Live Streams
Refresh
StarCraft 2
RuFF_SC2 128
ProTech98
SpeCial 3
StarCraft: Brood War
Artosis 28
Dota 2
NeuroSwarm162
Counter-Strike
summit1g6653
Fnx 1343
Super Smash Bros
C9.Mang0213
Mew2King179
PPMD70
Other Games
shahzam746
ToD293
elazer198
Organizations
Other Games
gamesdonequick361
[ Show 14 non-featured ]
StarCraft 2
• davetesta13
• AfreecaTV YouTube
• intothetv
• Kozan
• IndyKCrew
• Migwel
StarCraft: Brood War
• Eskiya23 29
• iopq 1
• BSLYoutube
• STPLYoutube
• ZZZeroYoutube
League of Legends
• imaqtpie3030
• Shiphtur457
Other Games
• Scarra777
Upcoming Events
Sparkling Tuna Cup
10h 51m
PiG Sty Festival
12h 51m
PiGosaur Cup
1d
Replay Cast
1d 9h
Kung Fu Cup
1d 11h
Replay Cast
2 days
The PondCast
2 days
Replay Cast
3 days
CranKy Ducklings
4 days
Sparkling Tuna Cup
5 days
[ Show More ]
Afreeca Starleague
6 days
Rush vs Hm
Bisu vs Shuttle
WardiTV Weekly
6 days
The Patches Monday
6 days
Liquipedia Results

Completed

Proleague 2026-08-09
CranK Gathers Season 4: BW vs SC2 Team League
Eternal Conflict S2 Finale

Ongoing

KCM Race Survival 2026 Season 3
K-JUNGMAN
Acropolis #5
Proleague 2026-08-10
RSL Revival: Season 6
Esports World Cup 2026: LCQ
BLAST Bounty Summer 2026
BLAST Bounty Summer Qual
Stake Ranked Episode 3
XSE Pro League 2026
IEM Cologne Major 2026
Stake Ranked Episode 2

Upcoming

Escore Tournament S3: W7
CSLAN 4
ASL Season 22
Escore Tournament S3: W8
Acropolis #5 - TRS
Blizzard Classic Cup 2026
Acropolis #5 - GSA
HSC XXX
SC4ALL II: StarCraft II
Kung Fu Cup 2026 Grand Finals
RSL Offline Finals
PiG Sty Festival 8.0
Big Dog Cup 2026 Div 1
META DYMY #4
Thunderpick World Champ.
ESL Pro League Season 24
Stake Ranked Episode 4
Logitech G Connect 2026
SL StarSeries Fall 2026
FISSURE Playground #5
BLAST Open Fall 2026
Esports World Cup 2026
TLPD

1. ByuN
2. TY
3. Dark
4. Solar
5. Stats
6. Nerchio
7. sOs
8. soO
9. INnoVation
10. Elazer
1. Rain
2. Flash
3. EffOrt
4. Last
5. Bisu
6. Soulkey
7. Mini
8. Sharp
Sidebar Settings...

Advertising | Privacy Policy | Terms Of Use | Contact Us

Original banner artwork: Jim Warren
The contents of this webpage are copyright © 2026 TLnet. All Rights Reserved.